Residents raise concerns at IDP meeting in Bethal

BETHAL – More than 60 residents attended the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting on Tuesday evening, 16 October in Bethal to discuss numerous matters with municipal officials.

Ms Marietjie Fourie, DA Councillor, was glad that so many people attended the meeting as she said last year only three people showed up.

Issues that were discussed, included cable theft and Ms Fourie said municipal officials are committed to replace the cables with aluminium cables to prevent the cables from being stolen.

“The project to fix the street lights have begun and the municipality began fixing the street lights in the CBD,” said Ms Fourie.

“The municipal officials said they will appoint a contractor to fix the rest of the street lights.”

According to municipal officials at the meeting, they also received the go ahead to fix the potholes in Bethal.

Extended Public Works workers will focus on the potholes issue in Bethal.

Residents requested the municipality employ a road engineer to give advise rearding the potholes in order to be fixed in the correct way.

Officials said the sewage situation is still a big problem because if the cables are stolen, the pump cannot function and blocks the whole system.

The department will have a meeting with the municipal manager, Mr Simon Mndebele, on 1 November to discuss the sewage issues in Bethal.

The Community Forum Police (CPF) chairman, Mr Jaap Pretorius, also attended the IDP meeting and raised a few concerns from the CPF’s side.

He said by-laws are not being implemented and that no cases of cable theft have been reported.

The next topic of discussion was the road markings on the N17 highway and officials said they had a meeting with Sanral recently and Sanral will renew the markings on the N17.

Residents also raised their concerns about the reservoir at Noordlaan that is not sufficient.